President Donald Trump, left, and Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy participate in a public swearing-in ceremony for Justice Neil Gorsuch in the Rose Garden of the White House White House in Washington, Monday, April 10, 2017. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Justice Anthony Kennedy reportedly is telling law clerk applicants he may retire

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July 03, 2017 09:37 AM EDT

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has told law clerk applicants he might be retiring next year, according to NPR.

NPR first reported that while Kennedy had hired his law clerks for the coming term, he had yet to make his picks for the October 2018 term. What's more, he told candidates who had applied that he was considering retiring.

This may not come to fruition, but given Kennedy's position as a "swing vote" on the court, it could drastically alter the court. President Trump, who appointed Neil Gorsuch to fill the seat of the late Justice Anthony Scalia, would likely appoint a conservative justice to fill Kennedy's seat.

Kennedy often casts tie-breaking votes in high-profile decisions. For example, in 2015, he sided with the majority opinion in the Obergefell v. Hodges, which allowed same-sex marriage nationwide.

This isn't the first time rumors have swirled about his imminent retirement.